something he didn’t do just because Jay was going through yet another rough patch?
Dimly aware of the patrons’ stares and of Paige moving out from behind the bar, he pushed to his feet. “No.”
“Listen here—”
“It’s not right, Dad. Jay doesn’t always get to be first.”
“You grew up, son. The hard way, for sure. No one’s taking that away from you.”
“How do you expect Jay to grow up if we don’t let him? If we keep softening the blow.”
Wyatt reached into his pocket for his wallet. Extracting enough to pay for the beers and a generous tip, he tossed the money on the table and abruptly left.
His father didn’t try and stop him.
“Wyatt, wait!” Paige hurried after him.
He paused at the front door, gripping the handle tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
“Will I see you later?” she asked.
“At seven. For dinner.”
He stepped outside into the bitter cold, the falling snow and icy wind blurring his vision.
At least, that was the reason he told himself.
Chapter Six
Snow fell with such force, the windshield wipers on Paige’s car were mostly useless. She turned the corner onto her street and peered through the white haze. Relief coursed through her when she made out Wyatt’s truck parked in front of her house.
Thank goodness! She’d fought the feeling all day that he would leave after the argument with his father and miss their dinner date tonight.
Who was she kidding? She was worried they’d miss out on a lot more than dinner.
The kiss they shared yesterday had given her a glimpse into the kind of life she and Wyatt could have if he stayed in Roundup.
And there was the key to everything. Him staying.
Well, he was here now, and that was a good sign. He must be having the same feelings as her.
“Mom. Mom!”
“Yeah, sorry honey,” she told Seth. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
Out of the mouths of babes.
Inside the house, Seth dumped his backpack on the table and raided the refrigerator.
“Don’t eat too much,” Paige warned him. “You have your sleepover tonight.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“Seth.” Her tone spoke volumes.
Paige stalled as long as she could—ten minutes—then fabricated an excuse about checking the motor home’s propane supply.
“Come in,” Wyatt hollered in response to her knock on the door.
She found him sitting at the table, drinking a can of soda and, this didn’t bode well, studying a road map. Worse, his duffel bag sat on the seat across from him, looking freshly packed.
Her hopes, like her stomach, promptly sank.
“Hey.” He flashed her a charming smile, all traces of his argument with his father gone.
“There goes our dinner plans,” she said with a humorless laugh.
At least he had the decency not to lie. “I thought I’d leave after we finished. If the weather breaks.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Paige huddled inside her coat, the warmth from the heater failing to reach her chilled insides.
“Then tomorrow.”
“I see.” She hadn’t realized she was inching toward the door until Wyatt stood and came toward her.
“Paige.”
“Don’t,” she murmured, barely maintaining her composure. No matter how much she wanted differently, this wasn’t going to end well.
He ignored her protest and wound an arm around her waist, drawing her close.. The last of her resistance crumbled when his mouth covered hers in the kind of kiss that came around only once in a lifetime.
She clung to him, murmuring his name as his lips glided down the column of her neck.
Suddenly, he stopped, and Paige braced herself for another incredible kiss.
Just as expected, he knocked her socks off—with his words, not his actions.
“Come with me to Wyoming.”
“What?”
“We can leave tomorrow.”
She drew back. “Are you crazy?”
“Yes. About you.”
Oh, how she’d longed to hear him say that. Only she wasn’t seventeen anymore. She was nearing thirty and the mother of
Dimly aware of the patrons’ stares and of Paige moving out from behind the bar, he pushed to his feet. “No.”
“Listen here—”
“It’s not right, Dad. Jay doesn’t always get to be first.”
“You grew up, son. The hard way, for sure. No one’s taking that away from you.”
“How do you expect Jay to grow up if we don’t let him? If we keep softening the blow.”
Wyatt reached into his pocket for his wallet. Extracting enough to pay for the beers and a generous tip, he tossed the money on the table and abruptly left.
His father didn’t try and stop him.
“Wyatt, wait!” Paige hurried after him.
He paused at the front door, gripping the handle tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
“Will I see you later?” she asked.
“At seven. For dinner.”
He stepped outside into the bitter cold, the falling snow and icy wind blurring his vision.
At least, that was the reason he told himself.
Chapter Six
Snow fell with such force, the windshield wipers on Paige’s car were mostly useless. She turned the corner onto her street and peered through the white haze. Relief coursed through her when she made out Wyatt’s truck parked in front of her house.
Thank goodness! She’d fought the feeling all day that he would leave after the argument with his father and miss their dinner date tonight.
Who was she kidding? She was worried they’d miss out on a lot more than dinner.
The kiss they shared yesterday had given her a glimpse into the kind of life she and Wyatt could have if he stayed in Roundup.
And there was the key to everything. Him staying.
Well, he was here now, and that was a good sign. He must be having the same feelings as her.
“Mom. Mom!”
“Yeah, sorry honey,” she told Seth. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
Out of the mouths of babes.
Inside the house, Seth dumped his backpack on the table and raided the refrigerator.
“Don’t eat too much,” Paige warned him. “You have your sleepover tonight.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“Seth.” Her tone spoke volumes.
Paige stalled as long as she could—ten minutes—then fabricated an excuse about checking the motor home’s propane supply.
“Come in,” Wyatt hollered in response to her knock on the door.
She found him sitting at the table, drinking a can of soda and, this didn’t bode well, studying a road map. Worse, his duffel bag sat on the seat across from him, looking freshly packed.
Her hopes, like her stomach, promptly sank.
“Hey.” He flashed her a charming smile, all traces of his argument with his father gone.
“There goes our dinner plans,” she said with a humorless laugh.
At least he had the decency not to lie. “I thought I’d leave after we finished. If the weather breaks.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Paige huddled inside her coat, the warmth from the heater failing to reach her chilled insides.
“Then tomorrow.”
“I see.” She hadn’t realized she was inching toward the door until Wyatt stood and came toward her.
“Paige.”
“Don’t,” she murmured, barely maintaining her composure. No matter how much she wanted differently, this wasn’t going to end well.
He ignored her protest and wound an arm around her waist, drawing her close.. The last of her resistance crumbled when his mouth covered hers in the kind of kiss that came around only once in a lifetime.
She clung to him, murmuring his name as his lips glided down the column of her neck.
Suddenly, he stopped, and Paige braced herself for another incredible kiss.
Just as expected, he knocked her socks off—with his words, not his actions.
“Come with me to Wyoming.”
“What?”
“We can leave tomorrow.”
She drew back. “Are you crazy?”
“Yes. About you.”
Oh, how she’d longed to hear him say that. Only she wasn’t seventeen anymore. She was nearing thirty and the mother of
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